French Bureau
Proofs, Essays and Imperforates (Part 4)

by David Lamb & Alec Jacques

1950 Airmail

(Yv PA 1)

General Comments

After the complexities of the previous issues of 1944/51, it
something of a relief to review a rather more straight-forward
issue. This 100f value in indigo, designed and engraved by
Gabriel Barlangue, features two chamois (izards) with the Cirque
des Pessons mountain range in the background. It is one of the
most attractive and well designed stamps produced for Andorra.

Die Proofs

As for the previous issue, proofs exist in one or more colours
per proof, and these are taken from the original denominated die.

Colour Proofs

Various colour proofs exist (size 1140 x 110mm approx), all of
which have the distinctive control punch at base and also an ink
colour reference number.

Check-list

value

colour

design

details

100f

chocolate

Chamois

EC 1706 Lx

100f

slate green

EC 1313 Lx

100f

dull purple

EC 1503 Lx

100f

grey-black

EC 1605 Lx

De luxe Proof

This proof has the official control punch and is inscribed
"Atelier de Fabrication des Timbres-Poste. PARIS".

Check-List

Single proof 13.00 x 10.00cm Yv PA 1 (1)

Imperforate

This stamp is not known imperforate.

1955/8 Postage and airs

(Yv 138/53 + PA 2/4)

General Comments

These issues fall into two categories:

The postage values comprise four designs, all of which were
designed by Albert Decaris but had different engravers as
follows:- Les Escaldes - Claude Hertenberger; Santa Coloma -
Andre Freres; Gothic Cross - Charles Paul Dufresne; Les Bons -
Albert Decaris.
Only die proofs and de luxe proofs exist for the above and
they are not known imperforate.

The airmail design, entitled "East Valira River" and showing
an eagle above the Church of St Jean de Caselles, was both
designed and engraved by Albert Decaris. In addition to die
proofs and the usual de luxe proofs, there is also a wide
range of special printings. These are believed to have been
produced as part of the celebrations to mark the 25th anniversary
in 1956 of the opening of the French Postal Service in
Andorra. These special printings are dealt with in a
separate paragraph.

Die Proofs

It seems likely that the original master-dies for each design
were denominated as follows:-

Les Escaldes

1f

Santa Coloma

6f

Gothic Cross

15f

Les Bons

30f

East Valira River

100f

Proofs exist in one or more colours per proof, and examples with
the "BFK RIVES" watermark are known.

Check-List

value

colour

design

details

1f

indigo

Les Escaldes

EA G (BFK wmk)

1f

green

EA

2f

grey-black

EA G

2f

violet & slate

EA G

2f

green

EA

2f

dark brown

EA G

2f

light brown

EA G

2f

orange brown

EA

2f

magenta

EA

6f

olive

Santa Coloma

EA

6f

black

EA G

6f

brown

EA G

6f

grey blue

EA G

15f

dark brown & green

EA G (BFK wmk)

15f

black

EA G (BFK wmk)

15f

green

EA G

15f

brown

EA G

15f

magenta

EA G

15f

deep slate

EA G

30f

black

Les Bons

EA G

100f

black

East Valira River

EA G

100f

green

EA G

500f

black **

EA

** printed from a secondary die

Multiple Proofs

These exist for the airmails and are printed in black from secondary dies.
Examples have been seen in two configurations -
and other variations may exist.

These proofs do not bear the printing office control punch
but may have an "Atelier" annotation in pencil. It is possible
that they were prepared for a multiple "de luxe proof", due for
release after the later-issued 500f value - this proof, however, did
not materialise. There is also a possibility that they are part of
the 25th Anniversary presentations.

Check-List

100, 200, 500 black (14.5 x 9.5 cm) various combinations

Colour Proofs

No colour proofs are known for the postage values, and we now
believe that the majority of those previously listed for the airmails
are presentation proofs, and these are now listed in the 25th
Anniversary section.

However, mention must be made of a proof of the 500f value in a
green shade, slightly paler than the issued 100f, of which the size
is 141 x 110mm. This has the usual control punch but is without
imprint or colour reference number. It is printed from the
original die and not from a secondary die as one would expect (the
indentation is 68 x 78mm rather than the usual 32 x 48mm). Although
we list this as a colour proof, it has all the hallmarks of an
"épreuve d'atelier" or "épreuve de réception"
(made when a die is
checked at the Atelier before hardening). However, such proofs
are usually printed in sepia, blue or black.

De Luxe Proofs

These exist for all postage and airmail values. All have the
official control punch and are inscribed "Atelier de Fabrication
des Timbres-Poste. PARIS".

Check-List

Single proofs 13.00 x 10.00cm Yv 138/53 + PA 2/4 (22)

Imperforates

It always had been assumed that the postage and airmail stamps
did not exist imperforate in their issued colours. Even though the
three airmails are now listed by both Yvert and Ceres catalogues,
they do not appear to be "normal" imperforate stamps - they are
not
readily encountered on the market, unlike other imperforate Andorran
issues.

Check-List

Yv PA 2/4 (3)

25th Anniversary of the French Postal Service in Andorra

General Comments

Readers will all be well aware that the
French PO prepared a special cancellation,
featuring Jaume Bonell, for this event which
was in use during the period 16 - 30 June
1956. Somewhat less well-known are the
special printings of the airmail stamps, said
to have been prepared for a commemorative
presentation booklet, which was presumably
destined for the usual officials, high dignatories
and so on. It is here that we come to the most difficult part
of these listings, and where there is much confusion, few hard facts,
and even the Musée Postal in Paris has no relevant records to help
us. We can only attempt, therefore, to form a judgement and relate
what we have discovered about the items we possess or have read
about. We do not rule out the possibility of the existence of other
items and, as always, we would welcome any further information that
members may be able to supply.

Presentation Proofs

These can be divided into two main groups: 1) proofs (similar
to colour proofs) on small sheets and 2) single stamps that are
usually imperforate.

1. Proofs on Small Sheets

There is an extensive range in a variety of colours for the 500f
airmail. Of these, some are said to be unique whilst others, such
as the violet, are known to exist in several copies. Although
they are printed from a secondary die, they vary in some other
aspects from the normal colour proofs:

normal colour proofs

500f Airmails

approx size

140 x 110mm

135 x 102mm

colour reference number

yes

no

control punch

yes

yes

In addition, they show an albino impression of "Atelier de
Fabrication des Timbres-Poste. PARIS" reading downwards towards the
lower left of the sheet (the "Poste. PARIS" is usually cut off).
Such an imprint is not seen on normal colour proofs. It is also
important to note that the denomination "500F" in the value-tablet
differs in style to that of the issued stamp (see group 2A for
illustration and details).

Check-List

500f violet

500f pale blue

500f red brown

500f straw yellow

500f claret

500f deep red

500f red

500f light brown

500f blue grey

500f greenish blue

500f grey blue

500f green

500f bluish green

(other colours may exist)

2) Stamps

This group can be divided into two sections: A) hybrid stamps
produced from dies showing differences to the issued stamps, and
B) stamps similar to those issued.

A) Hybrid Stamps

It would seem that a lot of work went into the production of
these presentation stamps. The three denominations exist from
dies in which the value and immediate surround differ in some way
to the issued stamps.

top row - the issued stamps
bottom row - the hybrid stamps

There are several differences, but the more obvious are as follows

100f

(issued)

The 1 is only slightly taller than the zeros, and has even
serifs at the base.
The F has partial shading at right.
The ripple (shaped rather like a 3) immediately above the first
zero has a long lower tail to left.

(hybrid)

The 1 is clearly taller than the zeros, and has a short serif
to the right of the base.
The F is clear of shading at the right.
The ripple above the first zero has a short lower tail.

200f

(issued)

The 2 has a tightly curled top.
The F is heavily seriffed at the right extremities.
The ripple above the first zero has a long lower tail to left.

(hybrid)

The 2 has a more open curled top.
The F is only lightly seriffed at the right extremities.
The ripple above the first zero has a short lower tail.

500f

(issued)

The 5 has a slanting downward stroke from the top to the curve.
The serif at top left of F slants upwards.
The lower left corner of stamp has solid shading.

(hybrid)

The 5 has a straight downward stroke from the top to the curve.
The serif at top left of F is almost horizontal.
The lower left corner of stamp shows a lack of shading "spot"

Additionally, on the 500f value only, there is often a spot of
colour in the upper part of the D of DE - this shows on many copies
of the hybrid stamp as well as the presentation sheets. In fact,
a close examination of the 500f hybrid stamps and the 500f
presentation sheets clearly indicates that they were printed from
the same die. This fact suggests that all the hybrid stamps are
from single impressions, and not from sheets of 25 as suggested by
other sources. This is borne out by the fact that we have never
seen or heard of pairs, blocks etc, and that why most of these items
seem to come with good to ample margins.

The hybrid stamps are always imperforate and gummed.

B) Stamps Similar to Those Issued

This presentation series is further confused by the existence of
values which are clearly very similar to those issued. We have
seen both the 200 and 500f values thus, and would also expect the
100f to exist as well. These also are usually imperforate and
gummed, but the presentation booklets are said to have contained
both an imperforate and perforated 200f value in green - and it is
this latter stamp that particularly merits our attention.

This "star attraction" of the 25th Anniversary printings is in a
shade of green, only slightly paler than that of the issued 100f.
This stamp, which was originally only listed in the Maury catalogue,
surely ranks as an equal to the famous 20c Bridge of St Anthony in
ultramarine (Yv 30A, and illustrated in Bulletin No 36). However,
a mint copy of the 200f green was sold for "only" 11,010f in 1990.
This compares with the rariefied level of 120,000f usually sought
after for a copy of the 20c Bridge in ultramarine. It is, perhaps,
interesting to record here that in 1957 it was possible to buy both
the perforated and imperforate 200f in green for 11,000f (6000 plus
5000f), and that price equated to about £9.32 the pair or £5.08 for
the perforated stamp alone!

However, it must be said that the perforations of this stamp are
worthy of further consideration. All stamps seen seem to show a
curious "narrow (7th) and compensatory wide (8th) tooth" combination.
This occurs four times per stamp and can be observed as follows:-

from top right corner, count 7 and 8 to left

from bottom right corner, count 7 and 8 up

from bottom right corner, count 7 and 8 to left

from bottom left corner, count 7 and 8 up

In addition to the above some, but not all, copies show a small
perforation hole - counting 11 down from the top left corner. Some
sources have suggested that these anomalies of perforation indicate
that these stamps have been privately perforated, and thus are not
authentic - the perforations not being uniformly constant compared
to the normally issued stamps. However, if these stamps were
printed in singles by the same method as the hybrids in section A),
then obviously they could not be perforated on the normal comb
machines used for sheets, and some different method of perforation
would have to be utilised. We can only add that, at the present
time, we have not seen any pairs, marginal copies, or the coin-daté
of the 200f green - any of which would indicate that it was printed
in sheets and not in singles.

NOTE:
The authors wish to point out that much of the detailed
information about the 25th Anniversary presentations is
new and previously unpublished. We would greatly welcome comment
and details/photocopies of similar material held by our members.

The colour illustration which follows was included in the Valira
Torrent as part of the celebration of the 20th anniversary of APSC.
High resolution (600 dpi) printed copies can be purchased from APSC.
It can also be supplied as a compressed file on floppy disk.
For more information see
APSC 20th Anniversary Souvenirs